• Published 21st Mar 2013
  • 2,077 Views, 13 Comments

My Little Crisis Core - Mudkipman98



Zack could've sworn that he died. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, then found himself floating into the sky toward what he thought was Angeal's hand, welcoming him into the life stream. But then he woke up to a purple alicorn in his

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Kidnapping and Chrysalis

Twilight sat in the main room drinking coffee to wake herself up when Spike and Zack returned. Zack carried what looked like a shopping list in his hands. "Oh, hi Zack, Spike. Back so soon?" she said as she acknowledged their return

"Yep," came Spike's reply. "We paid a visit to Rarity's and she gave Zack a couple of odd crystals. What are they?"

"They're called materia," explained Twilight. "I'm sure Zack has already explained, but they can be used to generate magic such as healing spells or fire spells. Those are just a few. I've even heard of a few recently that can summon some powerful monsters." Twilight shuddered at the research she had made on the few new books about the crystals in the library. They had just shown up, and already unicorns were discovering their power.

"Would you like a demonstration, Spike?" asked Zack, eager to test out the materia to see if it was any good.

"Sure! Twilight, do you wanna come?" asked the dragon excitedly.

"I guess I've never seen them in action before, so yeah. We can go to the Everfree Forest so we don't damage anything important." It was Spike's turn to shudder after hearing the mention of the forest.

"Are you sure we should go in there Twilight? I mean, it is the Everfree Forest," cautioned the baby dragon.

"What's so bad about the forest?" asked Zack. "Rarity mentioned that it was dangerous." Twilight was quick with an answer.

"The world doesn't work the same there. The plants grow, the animals all care for themselves, and the clouds move all on their own," she finished, waving her hooves in front of her and making a 'woooo' sound and trying to imitate a ghost.

Zack couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh come on," he said. "That's how my world works all the time. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Well, if you're really so confident..." managed Twilight. "In all seriousness though, it is dangerous in there. The wild animals are vicious, so make sure you're prepared. Just give me some time to grab a few books and a map." The purple alicorn stood up and walked over to the bookshelves, pulling out different volumes on habitat and biology for different creatures. She returned with her saddle bags full. "Okay, ready," she said cheerfully.

With that, the party moved out of the library and began their trip toward the Everfree. Along the way, they were stopped by Rainbow Dash. "Whoa whoa whoa," said the athletic pegasus, her mane blowing back in the breeze. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked Twilight.

"To the Everfree forest," replied Twilight flatly.

"And you didn't think of inviting me?" said Rainbow indignantly.

"Well, no actually. We've got Zack here to protect us." Zack waved his hand and smiled.

"What's a 'Zack'?" she asked.

"Hey, I'm not a what!" protested the SOLDIER. "First, that's my name. And second, I'm human," he added.

"You tryin' to pick a fight or something?" challenged Rainbow as she flew up to Zack's face and glared at him.

Zack bent down and picked up a long, thick stick before asking, "Are you?"

"Both of you, calm down," said Twilight. "Zack, drop the stick. Rainbow, give him some space." Both reluctantly agreed before Rainbow turned to Twilight.

"This guy is supposed to be protecting you? What can some human do to the monsters in there?" Without giving Twilight time to respond, she said, "What you need is raw pegasus power! I'm coming with you, and that's final."

Twilight sighed. "Okay, fine. But this is for a test of Zack's ability with the materia, so don't get in the way."

"Isn't materia that weird stuff that the unicorns have been studying?" asked Rainbow.

"Yes," she responded. "It has great magical potential, but nopony really knows what it's capable of. That is, except for Zack here."

"Really?" asked Rainbow Dash. "We're going into the forest just to try out some magic? Why don't we do it in Ponyville?"

"Because the materia I got has elemental properties," said Zack in annoyance, "and it could cause damage if we used it here."

"Okay, fine," said Rainbow. "I'm just going to come with you to make sure you're safe, Twilight."

"I'm pretty sure Zack can protect me," said Twilight, growing annoyed at her friend's persistence.

"And what makes you think that?" asked Rainbow harshly. "I saw him during that fire last night. He was there with that other thing that was setting the town on fire! How do you know he isn't the enemy?"

"Because he saved me!" shouted Twilight.

Rainbow flew back a little bit and stayed silent for a few moments. "He did?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," said Twilight. "He protected me from that other human and he almost got killed doing it."

Rainbow turned back to Zack as she said, "You saved Twilight without even thinking about it?" she asked him.

"Of course," he answered as he put his hands on his hips. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment before she touched down and said, "I'm sorry about what I said. I guess I'm just worried after what happened last night. But if you really did protect Twilight, then you're okay in my book," she said as she approached him and held a hoof up to him. "Are we cool?"

Zack noticed her complete attitude shift and he shook her hoof as he said warmly, "Sure, we're cool."

"I'm glad that you two are done fighting so soon, but can we please get moving?" said Twilight. "The last thing we want to do is get caught in the forest after dark."

"Yeah, let's go," said Rainbow Dash with a smile. Together, the group continued through the streets of Ponyville to the forest. Rainbow Dash walked next to Zack as she examined him and his huge sword. "So where are you from, Zack?" she asked curiously.

"I'm from..." he began explaining as they continued walking. It took them some time, but while they moved, he told both Rainbow and Twilight as much as he could about SOLDIER and his life.

When he was done, Rainbow said, "Wow. So you were in the military?"

"Sort of," he clarified. "Technically, we were a private sect of Shinra. But in essence, yeah."

"That's so cool," she said as her eyes shined. "The Royal Guard here in Equestria is pretty cool, too. Twilight's brother is part of it, so maybe he could give you some training here."

"Really?" asked Zack. He looked to Twilight as they walked before asking her, "You have a brother in the Royal Guard?"

"Yeah," she said with a blush. "He's pretty cool," she added as she turned away. Before they knew it, they arrived at the road that led into the forest.

"Okay everyone," began Twilight. "This is it. We're here to test out Zack's materia; nothing more, nothing less. Once that's done, we should leave as soon as possible." Everyone nodded their heads. "Okay then, off we go." With that, Twilight did an about face and began to walk into the thick forest, followed by Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Zack.

It didn't take long to find a large clearing for Zack to practice in. Twilight stopped in the middle of it and bowed her head, channeling magic into her horn. As it glowed with magic, the sound of growling started echoing in the bushes and trees in front of them.

"Um, Twilight? What are you doing?" asked Zack, curious as to what was making the growling.

"I'm calling up some sparring partners," she responded. She had just finished her sentence when three timber wolves jumped from the bushes in front of the group. They charged forward, teeth dripping with saliva. "Here they come!"

Everybody fought one of their own. Zack charged forward, his sword drawn, and slashed up at his wolf. He watched some of the wood split as his sword cut a deep gash into it.

He jumped back, watching as the timber wolf's jaws shut where he stood only moments before. "Fire!" he called out, releasing a small ball of flame at the living wood. It impacted and the wolf's 'skin' began to sizzle before the dampness in the air stopped it.

Again, Zack and the wolf clashed, Zack's sword impacting against the Timberwolf's teeth. "Gotcha," he said. "Bolt!" With that, a bolt of lightning fell, drawn to Zack's sword which acted as a lightning rod. The shock hit the sword, discharging it into the wolf. While it was made of wood which weakened the spell lightly, that didn't mean it couldn't burn. The wolf backed away, swinging its head in pain as smoke bellowed from its mouth. It blinked a few times before opening its jaws in a roar.

No sooner had they opened than a ball of fire landed in them, burning the wolf from the inside out. As it fell to pieces, Zack lowered his raised hand from which he had launched the ball. He then turned to see how Twilight and Rainbow Dash were doing.

They were both pinned down by their wolves, each ones' breath hot against the ponys' faces. As Twilight looked into the jaws of death, or more accurately, the jaws of the timberwolf, she waited for the end to come.

"Limit Break! Angel's Revenge!"

Before she knew it, she saw a flash of white light and Zack go flying through the beast. It broke apart, sending wood chips in all directions.

As Twilight stood up, she saw that Rainbow Dash's wolf had also been blown apart. She looked to where Zack stood a few yards away, his energy wings sinking into his back. He turned to the two ponies, a look of fear and anger on his face. "What were you thinking letting those things overtake you? Couldn't you have used some kind of spell, Twilight?" he said.

Twilight was taken aback by his words. "I-I don't know," she stuttered. She honestly had no idea how the creatures had overtaken her. One minute, they were charging, the next, she was pinned down. She barely had time to react.

"Never mind that," came Zack's reply. "We should get out of here. If there are more of these things, then I can't risk you two getting hurt." Before he could call for Spike to tell him that they were leaving, he saw five timber wolves step from the shadows.

"Uh-oh," began Twilight with regret in her voice. "I may have called more than I meant to."

Groaning with annoyance, Zack started casting Fire over and over again, launching balls of fire at his enemies. They exploded on impact, blowing them apart with just a couple of hits. He latched his sword to his back and turned around to see the shocked faces of Twilight and Rainbow, staring in awe at what they just witnessed. "What?" asked Zack, confused.

"You just killed those timberwolves with a few shots!" shouted Rainbow. "That was so awesome!"

"Oh relax. It was nothing," said Zack humbly.

"I have to admit, that was pretty cool," said Twilight. She turned around to see the rock that Spike was hiding behind. "Alright Spike, time to go."

No answer.

"Spike?" asked Twilight again.

Twilight stepped around the rock to find that Spike was gone. With panic in her eyes, she began to search the trees and the ground from where she stood, desperate to find him.

At last, she saw him in a tree, but he was being held by something. Something she thought Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had dealt with at their wedding. "Changeling!" she yelled, drawing Zack and Rainbow's attention.

Zack looked up in the trees to see a pony filled with holes, its long teeth and insect-like wings glistening in the dim light, holding a struggling Spike in its mouth by his tail. Not wasting a second, he drew his sword again and jumped into the tree, swinging the giant blade with all his might.

The Changeling easily dodged, what with it being so small, and bucked Zack in the face, splitting his face open with a large cut. Zack impacted the ground hard, his eyes snapping open when he landed.

As he tried to clear his spinning head, he could make out the changeling flying away through the trees. "Oh no you don't," he said out loud. Jumping to his feet and wiping the blood off of his cheek, he started chasing the creature on the ground as it flew above him through the trees. He easily cut through the dense plant life that continued to block his path.

"Wait!" shouted Twilight. Both her and Rainbow Dash had a hard time keeping up as they weren't used to the terrain of the forest. They soon fell behind, but continued to follow the path of torn plants.

After chasing the creature for a few minutes, Zack saw a stone structure coming into view which the creature flew toward. To him, it looked like a castle. He quickly crossed the bridge that covered a large gorge and continued to sprint there. He was interrupted by two natural wolves. "Ugh, I don't have time for you!" he yelled.

They launched at him with full force, their claws unsheathed and glowing red with magic. Zack blocked one of the wolves while the other cut his side open. The cut wasn't fatal, yet it did cause him to lose some blood, the thick substance splattering onto the grass.

Zack winced in pain but continued to push against the wolf he had blocked. "Fire!" he yelled, blasting the wolf in the face with the spell. The wolf was launched away from Zack to crash into the ground.

Zack managed to turn around in time to block an incoming attack from the wolf that had clawed his side, his blade stopping the wolf's incoming teeth. Zack pushed his sword into the wolf's mouth, the blade slicing the wolf's gums. It jumped back in surprise, blood now flowing from its mouth, creating a chilling sight as it hobbled toward Zack.

Zack shivered for a second before pressing his attack against the wounded wolf, its claws guarding his advances with his blade. The wolf managed to falter for just a second, long enough for Zack to swing his blade clean through the wolf's neck. The body fell, motionless in the grass.

He turned around to see the still form of the other wolf, assumedly burned to death by his fire spell. After confirming the kill with a slight kick to the still body, he looked up toward the castle. He could just make out the changeling flying through a window in the tallest tower. He sighed as he said, "Why do they always pick the highest spots?"

He fell to the ground, clutching his side which continued to bleed. Twilight showed up as soon as he fell. She quickly ran over to him, pulling out a small, green materia and infusing it with her magic, causing its energy to flow over Zack's wound and mend it.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, standing up slowly.

"One of those timber wolves dropped it when you blasted it apart. Why? Does it matter?" asked Twilight.

"Based off of your answer, yes, it does. Why would one of those wolves have a Cure materia inside of it?" He suddenly broke from his thought and remembered what had just happened. "Quick! Spike is in the tallest tower of that castle!" Before anypony could respond, Zack latched his sword to his back and began sprinting toward the castle's giant double doors, Rainbow Dash and Twilight doing their best to keep up.

As the group arrived, Twilight used her magic to open the doors faster, allowing Rainbow and Zack to charge straight in. What they saw made them lose most of their morale. Inside was an army of over 300 changelings, their slender, black forms easily visible against the white stone walls. Everyone's jaws dropped as they looked at the impossible challenge that stretched before them in the castle's entrance hall alone.

Zack shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Both of you, run!" he called out to Rainbow and Twilight. "There's too many of them! You need to leave and get back to Ponyville so you can warn someone! I can get Spike back, but you both need to run."

They both stepped up next to them as Twilight said, "We won't back down this time, Zack."

"Yeah," agreed Rainbow Dash. "Spike is in trouble, and we won't abandon him."

Zack groaned and said, "Is there really no arguing with you?"

"Hey, I won't leave my friends behind," said Rainbow as she picked at the floor with a hoof.

For a few moments, both sides didn't move, neither one wanting to make the first mistake. Finally, Twilight cast a spell that caused part of the castle floor to rise up under a section of the changeling army, sending unprepared changelings into the air to come crashing down onto their comrades. With that, both sides launched at each other.

Twilight and Rainbow stood back to back, defending each other from the incoming changelings attacking from all angles. Twilight used her magic to create shields and materia to create damaging spells such as fire and ice while Rainbow bucked any changeling that dared get too close.

Zack simply charged through the crowd, letting his blade slice through any changeling that was unlucky enough to be in front of him as he pushed through the army. For a creature that could copy any living being, they were notably weak. Also, they seemed to be doing very little copying. This puzzled Zack, for he guessed their ability from their names.

After reaching the other end of the army, the changelings began to converge on Rainbow and Twilight. Zack looked toward the next set of doors where another changeling, noticeably bigger than the rest, stood watching him with her piercing green eyes. "He said you'd be strong, but I didn't expect this," she said in a cool, calm tone.

"It's really too bad," she continued, "that I didn't get a chance to assimilate your power as well. But I guess this will just have to do." Zack watched as her body became cloaked in a dark energy, her form visibly shifting through the tornado of darkness surrounding her. When the twister slowed to a stop, Zack stared in shock at what stood before him.

The changeling had become an exact copy of him, even copying his buster sword, give or take a few extra holes littering the weapon and the changeling's new body. "Oh, and look at that," the copy of Zack spoke, still using the same voice. "I managed to sneak in the full power of your materia too."

With that, she summoned a bolt of lighting on Zack, striking him with plenty of force. As he staggered backward in just enough time to block the changeling's sword strike, he asked through gritted teeth, "Who are you?"

"Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings!" the creature shouted, teeth bared.

Author's Note:

Zack's gloves, if you remember, are made of leather with insulation. That's why, when Zack drew the lighting to his sword to shock the wolf, it didn't shock him as well.

Chrysalis had the chance to copy Zack's power after meeting with Sephiroth. Secretly, she probed into his memories, trying to salvage anything useful. What she found was the memory of Zack at full power. However, she never had time to copy his form and perfect it. She was able to create a rough copy, which is what she transformed into.